This course is available to Advanced Science students, or as an advanced option for students in other UNSW programs. It aims to extend fundamental concepts and principles of microbial genetics to an advanced level primarily through alternative laboratory discussion sessions, and is intended for students who have a strong interest in microbial genetics. The course covers fundamentally important and well-established concepts in microbial genetics, while emphasising the latest discoveries that have emerged from contemporary research efforts in the field (presented by senior researchers). Topics may include genetics of bacteriophages, bacteria, archaea and yeast, mutation and evolution, mechanisms of gene transfer, gene regulation and adaptive responses, and genomics and functional genomics of individual microorganisms and whole microbial communities. The practical component includes contemporary wet-lab microbial genetics experiments that complement lecture material. The practical component also emphasises interaction between demonstrators and students, facilitated through a rich variety of concept tutorials that cover diverse topics. These topics typically include transposon mutagenesis, gene library construction, gene complementation using recombinant plasmids, gene expression and regulation studies, UV mutagenesis and DNA repair, restriction/modification systems, promoter rescue experiments, and a variety of gene exchange techniques. The socioeconomic impact of microbial genetics is also discussed in student presentations. This course differs from BABS3021 Microbial Genetics by providing an alternative and more advanced practical programme within a laboratory group dedicated to the course, and through an alternative report assessment task that includes constructing creative solutions to contemporary problems in microbial genetics.
